Turning Chaos into Capability: CenturionEQ’s Road to Certification
Certex is proud to congratulate our client CenturionEQ on achieving ISO 9001 Quality Management Systems (QMS) certification in August 2025.
ISO 9001 is one of the most widely respected and adopted quality management standards in the world. It is designed to help organisations meet customer and stakeholder expectations while adhering to relevant statutory and regulatory requirements.
Jacqui and Russell Atkins, owners of CenturionEQ with their ISO 9001 certificate
Who is CenturionEQ?
CenturionEQ, formerly known as Centurion Fire & Rescue Equipment, is a trusted provider of fire and rescue equipment solutions for emergency services across Australia and New Zealand.
Proudly Australian-owned and based in Cameron Park, NSW, they have spent more than two decades manufacturing products like Centurion3000 Vehicle Roller Shutters, ARION Emergency Rescue Ladders, and RapidStow Equipment Gantries. The business, originally founded in 1998, recently changed ownership to its current owners, Jacqui and Russell Atkins. This acquisition marked the beginning of a significant operational transformation for CenturionEQ under Jacqui and Russell’s management.
Before Certification: A Business Running on Legacy Knowledge
When Jacqui and Russell took over the business, they inherited a business with a respected name and a 22-year legacy but also a system that was, in their own words, inconsistent and overwhelming. Although the business was being driven by customer service, quality, and reliability, those values were not being reflected in the internal systems Jacqui and Russell walked into.
Jacqui, who has a background in Quality and WHS described the situation as,
“Taking over a pre-existing operation can feel like walking into someone else’s workshop blindfolded. CenturionEQ’s internal structure was disorganised, undocumented, and inconsistent. There were no centralised records. Part numbers were random, policies were absent and procedures existed only in people’s heads. Documentation control was non-existent and “common sense” filled the gaps — dangerous in any business, but unacceptable in a manufacturing environment tied to emergency services.”
The need to rebuild from the ground up was clear for Jacqui.
The Drive Behind Certification
The drive towards obtaining ISO 9001 Quality Management Certification came from the need to meet customer expectations.
As Jacqui explains,
"Certification, especially ISO 9001 QMS, was a recurring question from customers, both domestic and international. We knew we couldn’t meet those requirements until we understood our own products and processes.”
For CenturionEQ, achieving certification was a strategic step towards strengthening customer confidence in them.
Journey to Certification: From Chaos to Control
CenturionEQ began their journey towards certification by initiating a comprehensive review of their operations, starting with understanding their own product range.
The team began by cataloguing and standardising their complex product portfolio, after which they mapped the processes behind those products.
“We mapped every stage of every process, from enquiry through to despatch, for shutters, ladders, gantries, and repairs. What we uncovered was a patchwork of outdated and undocumented practices. Workshop instructions existed as a heavily worn white folder originally created more than eight years earlier and never updated. There were no revisions, no document control, and no alignment to our now mapped processes and with ISO requirements. Much of the manufacturing knowledge lived solely in the minds of long-serving employees. The risks were obvious,” says Jacqui.
The next focus was tackling their digital system, which wasn’t doing any better. They had more than 12,000 disorganised and duplicated files that were scattered across inconsistent folder structures.
“Private HR information sat alongside operational files. Supplier details were scattered. Customer information existed in multiple versions. Accuracy was questionable everywhere,” says Jacqui.
They started clearing up everything, introducing a centralised structure and establishing control over documentation, data and version control.
Their overall improvements to the business included introducing a new document architecture and register system, overhauling scheduling, formalising policies and much more.
Their journey with Certex?
As CenturionEQ emerged from the chaos, their next decision was selecting a provider to get certified. Jacqui reflected positively on her experience with Certex:
"The certification process with Certex was great. We had no issues with it and if we were unsure, there were plenty of people available to assist in our enquiries.”
Dianne Gibert (Managaing Director of Certex), Jacqui and Russell Atkins (owners of CenturionEQ) and Alicja Gardini (General Manager of Certex) with the ISO 9001 certificate
What’s next for CenturionEQ?
Jacqui says the transformation is far from over. Their next focus area is completing their customer database and renovating their workshop and office. And most importantly, she says they will continue their work in refining their documentation.
“A business management system is never truly finished, but continual improvement is now part of our culture. From the outside, our growth may seem quiet or gradual. Inside, it has been a demanding, complex, and a deeply rewarding transformation. The work continues, but the foundations are solid. And for a company supplying critical equipment to emergency services, that foundation matters.” - Jacqui
Certex is proud to have been a part of CenturionEQ’s journey towards achieving ISO 9001 certification. This milestone is testament to all the hard work, dedication and the countless hours they’ve invested in rebuilding and refining their systems. We look forward to seeing what the future holds for CenturionEQ as they continue to evolve and strengthen their operations.
Ready to start your own journey?
Certex is accredited with the Joint Accreditation System of Australia and New Zealand (JASANZ) quality, safety and environmental standards. To learn more about quality certification for your business, reach out via phone or email.